For participants of the International Festival of Youth (IFY – 2026) – which will bring together 10,000 young leaders from 191 countries, people already shaping the future of creative industries, science, technology, media, and other fields in their home countries – the Russian Znanie Society has prepared a large-scale educational program. More than 150 speakers, together with the country's leading companies and institutions, will hold open dialogues, master classes and strategic sessions for them.

As part of the Festival, the Znanie.Pervye federal educational marathon will take place. Its speakers will include government and public figures, scientists, athletes, cultural and artistic figures, entrepreneurs and opinion leaders. The marathon's program is built around seven key areas that define the path to sustainable progress for the country and the world: Cultural Code, Well-Being, Source of Life, Human Development, Technological Leadership, Roads of the Future, and Modern Life.

Speakers invited to take part include Russian Deputy Prime Ministers Dmitry Chernyshenko, Vitaly Savelyev, and Marat Khusnullin; Russian Minister of Transport Andrei Nikitin; Governor of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area Dmitry Artyukhov; Governor of Kamchatka Territory Vladimir Solodov; General Director and Chairman of the Board of Russian Railways (RZD) Oleg Belozyorov; Gazprombank Vice President and head of a research group at the Russian Quantum Center, MIPT professor Alexey Fedorov; and head of the Kurchatov Genomic Center Maxim Patrushev. In addition, guests invited to meet with young people as part of the marathon include Olympic hockey champion and Honored Master of Sport of Russia Ilya Kovalchuk; European freestyle wrestling champion Bozigit Islamgereev; mixed martial artist and world grappling champion, and deputy of the State Assembly – Kurultai of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Jeff Monson; as well as head of the Moscow Jazz Orchestra and People's Artist of Russia Igor Butman; singer and People's Artist of Russia Dmitry Malikov; artistic director and head of the Moscow State Academic Theater, Russian Song, and People's Artist of Russia Nadezhda Babkina; and many others.

"The Znanie.Pervye educational marathon is a chance for young people from all kinds of countries to speak directly with the very people driving science, culture, sport and technology today. This kind of direct exchange of knowledge and experience between generations and countries is exactly why we hold events like this," noted Maxim Dreval, General Director of the Russian Znanie Society.

The Knowledge Track will also include a Literary Lounge, where Russian and international cultural figures will join Festival participants in reading aloud from and discussing works of Russian and world classic literature. Guests will include Acting Rector of the Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute and People's Artist of Russia Evgeny Knyazev; theater and film actor and Honored Artist of Russia Andrey Merzlikin; Guards Senior Lieutenant, frontline poet and member of the Union of Writers of Russia Sergey Lobanov; writer, screenwriter and producer Oleg Roy; and film director, screenwriter, producer and actor Klim Shipenko, among others. A separate format for participants will be the Wall of Mentors. Every young participant will be able to post a photo of the person thanks to whom they made it to the Festival in Ekaterinburg – a teacher, coach, mentor or loved one – and write them a note of thanks in their native language. Over four days, the wall will bring together hundreds of stories in dozens of languages into a single shared message: behind every achievement stands someone who believed in them first. The Knowledge Track at the IFY – 2026 will not be limited to lectures. An exhibition titled "We Are Russia: The Origins and Horizons of the Unity of Russia's Peoples" will open at the Festival grounds. The exhibition will feature photo zones with the country's natural landscapes – from the Baltic to Kamchatka – and 50 sets of traditional costumes from the peoples of Russia, which visitors can try on for keepsake photos in a dedicated photo booth. The exhibition can be explored independently or with a guide.

Another feature of the program is a game called "The Path of Enlightenment." Participants earn points for attending lectures and other events in the educational program, as well as for daily trivia quizzes and social media posts. Accumulated points can be exchanged for souvenirs, gadgets and books at the Znanie.Library space. This is also where the Library of the World Youth City will open — an international book collection of 10,000 copies, spanning more than 500 titles in Russian and English. The collection is being put together by participants themselves, based on their own reading recommendations. The space will also host a book exchange: everyone can bring a book that inspired them, give it to a participant from another country, and take home a book recommended by their new acquaintance.

Live broadcasts of the Znanie.Pervye marathon will be available on the International Festival of Youth website, on Znanie.TV on the marathon's website, and on the Russian Znanie Society's community pages. The IFY – 2026 is being held as part of the Youth and Children national project.

Overview:

The World Youth Festival took place in Sirius on March 1-7, 2024, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.

In line with the Russian President’s instructions to preserve and further develop the legacy of the World Youth Festival, festival events are now held annually across the Russian Federation. In 2025, the World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod, bringing together 2,000 young people from 120 countries. In 2026, the International Festival of Youth will welcome 10,000 participants. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will take place in 2030.

The World Youth Festival Directorate continues its work to strengthen international youth cooperation and develop a global community of young people committed to shaping a better future. The Russian Znanie Society is Russia's largest educational organization, with a rich history and tradition of public education work, and the country's leading platform for open dialogue between young people and outstanding public figures. The Society's projects and events, dedicated to the most relevant topics of the day, are aimed at popularizing scientific knowledge through new formats, fostering the growth and education of people of all ages and professions, and showcasing Russian achievements in science, technology, sport, art and other fields.

Znanie holds tens of thousands of educational events every year, creating opportunities for personal development and self-realization and for accessing reliable information both in person and on its digital platform. Since its relaunch, the Society's community of speakers has grown to 32,000 people. They have delivered more than 285,000 lectures across 89 regions of Russia, producing 8,100 hours of educational content on a wide range of topics: science, technology, space, culture and art, history, medicine, sport, and more.

Online broadcasts of Znanie's educational events, together with its educational video content, have amassed more than 5 billion views.